Abstract
Having a sense of meaning in life (MIL) has been acknowledged as a catalyst to psychological flourishing. As such, understanding ways to promote MIL represents a worthy goal for those interested in bolstering positive outcomes. This study sought to replicate the findings of Heintzelman, Trent & King (2013 Psychol. Sci. 24, 991–998 (doi:10.1177/0956797612465878)), who found that MIL could be influenced by external stimulation. Their findings suggest that exposure to coherent stimuli produces significantly higher MIL scores than exposure to incoherent stimuli. Using materials and methodology provided by the corresponding author of the original paper, this study attempted to directly test this manipulation under conditions with increased statistical power. All tests, however, failed to replicate. Possible explanations for these discrepant findings are discussed, and potential future directions for this area of the literature are proposed.
Highlights
Since Viktor Frankl’s landmark memoir, Man’s search for meaning [1], finding meaning in life (MIL) has been cited as an integral part of psychological health and flourishing
Condition (B[s.e.] = 0.14[0.11], t = 1.21, p = 0.225; 95% CI [−0.09, 0.36]), failed to emerge as a significant predictor of MIL when entered alongside explicit positive affect (B[s.e.] = 0.35[0.04], t = 8.76, p < 0.001; 95% CI [0.27, 0.42]), explicit negative affect (B[s.e.] = −0.13[0.04], t = −3.35, p = 0.001; 95% CI [−0.21, −0.05]), implicit positive affect (B[s.e.] = 0.06[0.05], t = 1.14, p = 0.254; 95% CI [−0.04, 0.16]), implicit negative affect (B[s.e.] = 0.001[0.06], t = −0.02, p = 0.981; 95% CI [−0.12, 0.12]), and the average time spent on each photo (B[s.e.] = −0.002[0.01], t = −0.36, p = 0.717; 95% CI [−0.01, 0.01])
If presentation of coherent/incoherent stimuli could change one’s level of felt MIL, the field would advance towards understanding how individuals find MIL, but it would point to future directions for researchers interested in helping individuals achieve and maintain this prominent existential task
Summary
Since Viktor Frankl’s landmark memoir, Man’s search for meaning [1], finding meaning in life (MIL) has been cited as an integral part of psychological health and flourishing. Scientific evidence has largely been united on the advantages of being able to sense MIL, or the feeling that one’s life is coherent [2] and/or significant [3]. Among the many positive outcomes delineated, increased psychological well-being [4], heightened happiness and life satisfaction [5], 2016 The Authors. Given the abundance of empirical evidence supporting the benefits derived from sensing MIL, understanding the sources that give rise to this sense represents a important issue
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